Signaling apparatus for motor-vehicles.



PATENTED PEB. 28, 1905.

W. S. GLINBS. SGNALING APPARATUS EUR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APILIOATION FILED MAB.. 8, 1904.

ATTORNEY WiLLiAM iratenteci Ii'ebruary 2Q, 19055.

(LlNES, OF BltlDGElURT, (JONNIU'IUU'V.

`SEGNALIlllC APPARATUS FR iVlGTll-"VEHlLES" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,748, dated February 2d, 1905.

Applicatlon iiieu March B, 1904. Serial No. 197,077.

`Be it known that l, WILLIAM S. (ii-LINES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairlield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful l mp rovement in Signaling Apparatus :for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a speci lication.

My invention relates to certain new and useiul imiiirovements in signaling apparatus for motor-vehicles, and has especial reference to that type ol: vehicles in which the motive power is derived from the combustion ot' a gaseous vapor within the engine.

The object of my invention is to utilize a portion ot' the exhaust-pressure of the prodnets of combustion Afrom the engine to operate the signaling horn or whistle for warning pedestrians and occupants oi' other vehicles of approaching dai'iger.

A further object oi' my invention is to greatly simplify the construction of the apparatus employed, and thereby provide etiieient structure at small cost.

My invention consists in equipping a motor-vehicle of this cliaracter with a signaling apparatus provided with means for trapping a portion of the escaping exhaust-gases on their way from the engine to the outside air and transmitting such pressure through suitable pipes to the signaling-horn, a suitable valve for controlling the speaking olE said horn being located within easy access of the operator, and my invention comprises certain elements of construction hereinafter 'fully described, and particularly designated in the claims.

.ln describing my improvement only such limited illustration oi' and reference to the wellknown parts of a motor-carriage will be made las is deemed necessary for a proper understanding oi' my invention.

Referring to the accompanying' drawings, which form a part of this specilication, and in which like parts ai'e similarly designated throughout the several tigures, Figure l is a side elevation of the framework of a motorcarriage provided with any suitable gas-engine and equipped with my improvements,

many of the well-known parts of the carriage which do not enter into my invention being omitted for the` purpose of clearness ol'I illus tration, with a portion oi the vehicle in dotted lilies. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation ol'l a check-valve which l preler to employ; Fig. 3, a cross-section o i the same, taken in the pl ane indicated by the line A B on Fig. 2; and `Fig. a is a detail vertical sectional elevation ol the throttle or operating valve which controls the supply of gas to the signaling-horn.

1 is the inoter-carriage ot' any approved dcsign, upon the framework 2 of which is suit ably mounted a gas-engine 3.

4 is the intake or supply pipe o'lAl the engine, which coimnunicatcs with any suitable resor-w voir (not shown) for supplying the engine with a suitable combustible lluid or vapor, such as I Jetroleui'n, gasolene, Sec.

Since a gas-engine ol' any approved design would fully answer the requirements ol my invention, l shall not,therefore, enter into any detailed description oli its working parts, but merely make such limited reference thereto as is deemed necessary i'o r a proper understandingl of my appliances.

5 is the exhaust-pipe, which leads 'from the engine 3 to a tank ormu'liler (j, secured to the :framework .2 oi' the carriage and troni which the exhaustegases communicate with the outside air. llhe Function ol.1 the niuliler t5 is ol' course to deaden the sound of the engine. i is a check-valve located in the pipev 5, preferably at a point interniediate oi said tank and engine and through which the exhaust-gases pass. Referring" to Figs. 2 and El, 140 is the valves-iat, which is conical in iorni and fitted with a tapered plunger 1l, provided with a stein l2, which passes loosely through a supporting-web 13. l/fi 15 are nuts run on the threaded end oi? the stem 12, and lo is acoilspring interposed between thc innermost nut l5 and the web i3, whereby the plui'iger 1l is resiliently held against the valve-seat il). The gasesin passing through this valve Force the plunger l1 away trom the valve-seat l() against the resiliency of the spring 16, the tension of the latter being in proportion to the pressure it is desired to trapor reserve For operating the siglnilingdiorn. The operation of this portion oli my iinprownnent is as l'ol lows: After the engine is started the exhaustgases pass through the pipe 5, forcing open the valve and g'aining admission to the tank or mui'lier 6, from whence they escape to the outside air, a part of the pressure remaining in the line of piping 5 between said valve 8 and engine, the strength of pressure therein maintained being' in proportion to the tension of the spring 16, which serves to close said valve, and in this connection I will say that the pressure calculated to be maintainedV within this pipe need not be more than ten or lfteen pounds to the square inch.

IVhile I have described in detail the strueture of the valve 8 in order that my invention may be clearly understood, still I do not wish to be limited in this respect, since a check-valve of any approved pattern would answer the requirements of my invention equally as well.

17 is a signaling horn or whistle of any approved construction suitably mounted on the carriage 1 and connected with the pipe 5 at any point intermediate of the valve 8 and engine 3 by a line of piping 18.

19 is a throttle or operating valve located on the line of piping` 18 within convenient reach of -where the operator sits. The valve 19 has a conical-shaped seat 20, adapted to receive a tapered plunger 21, provided with a stem 22, equipped with an operating-handle 23.

24 is a coil-spring' interposed between the under side of the plunger 21 and a threaded cap 25, which closes the bottom portion ofthe valve-chamber 26.

27 28 are ports through which the gas-pressure passes when the plunger 21 is forced away from the seat 2O by the operator.

Although I have shown and described in detail the structure of the operating-valve which I prefer to employ, still I do not wish to be limited thereby, since any approved construction of operating-valve would serve the purposes of my invention equally as well.

Bearing in mind that after the engine is started a continuous pressure is maintained within the pipe in order to blow a dangersignal, all that is necessary for the operator to do is to depress the operating-handle 23 of the valve 19, whereupon the gas-pressure in said pipe will be free to pass through the line of piping' 18 to the signaling-horn and cause the latter to speak, the duration of the blast on the same being' entirely at the operators command.

Motor-carriages equipped with certain types of mufflers wherein the gases meet with considerable resistance in gaining access to the outside air, owing to the tortuous course through which the gases are compelled to pass in traveling through the muffler, cause considerable back pressure in the eXhaust-pipeleading' from the engine to the muffler, and in such instances it is unnecessary to employ the checkvalve 8, since sufficient pressure is otherwise provided to operate the signaling-horn; but for general use, regardless of any special type of muffler, I prefer to employ a check-valve to insure a proper pressure being' always on reserve for operating' the horn.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a motor-vehicle provided with a gasengine, a tank or muffler, a pipe connecting' the latter with the exhaustof said engine, and an automatic check-valve located in said pipe intermediate of said tank and engine through which the exhaust-gases from the engine are caused to pass on their way to the atmosphere, whereby a portion of the exhaust-pressure is trapped within said pipe, in combination with a signaling horn or whistle suitably mounted upon the vehicle, a pipe connected with said signaling-horn and communicating' with said first-mentioned pipe at a point intermediate of said check-valve and engine, whereby said trapped gas-pressure is transmitted to said signaling-horn, and amanually-operated valve on the pipe leading to the signaling-horn intermediate of the latter and said check-valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a motor-vehicle provided with a gasengine, a tank or muffler, a pipe connecting the latter with the exhaust of said engine, in combination with a signaling horn or whistle suitably mounted upon the vehicle, a pipe connected with said signaling-horn and communicating with said first-mentioned pipe at a point intermediate of said tank and engine, whereby the back pressure in said first-mentioned pipe is transmitted to said signalinghorn, and a manually-operated valve on the pipe leading to the signaling-horn intermediate of the latter and said tank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two su bscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAU S. GLINES. Vitnesses:

J. S. FINCH, Guo. P. SANBORN.

IOO 

